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Henry BurdenAmerican engineer and businessman
Date of Birth: 22.04.1791
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Emigration to the United States
- Albany, New York
- Arrival in Troy, New York
- Invention of the Railroad Spike Machine
- London Visit and New Spike Designs
- Shipbuilding
- Burden Iron Works
- Today, Burden Iron Works is a Historic Landmark and home to a museum.
Early Life and Education
Henry Burden, an American engineer and businessman, was born on April 22, 1791, in Scotland. He received an engineering and drafting education in his home country.
Emigration to the United States
In 1819, Burden emigrated to the United States with letters of introduction to Senators Benton and Calhoun, as well as Governor Stephen Van Rensselaer of New York.
Albany, New York
In Albany, New York, Burden manufactured agricultural implements and invented the first soil cultivator used in America in 1820. He also improved the plow.
Arrival in Troy, New York
In 1822, Burden arrived in Troy as the superintendent and owner of a nail factory, which he later renamed Burden Iron Works. He was immediately dissatisfied with the machinery used to make railroad spikes, which still required manual labor.
Invention of the Railroad Spike Machine
On May 26, 1825, Burden patented a novel and highly efficient machine for making railroad spikes for flat rails, which became widely adopted across the country.
London Visit and New Spike Designs
In England in 1825, Burden learned that flat rails were likely to be replaced by T- and H-shaped rails, requiring different spikes. Upon his return home, he adapted his machines to produce the necessary spikes, supplying the Long Island Rail Road Company with 10 tons in 1836. He received an additional patent in 1840.
Shipbuilding
After railroad spikes, Burden turned his attention to steamboats. Aiming to design a vessel with less draft and higher speed, he constructed the Helen in 1833, named after his wife and reaching speeds of 18 miles per hour. He improved upon this design in 1837, and patented every aspect of his innovations. Burden is considered an early proponent of ocean liner travel, and in 1846, he proposed a plan for a massive transatlantic shipping company, some of whose forward-thinking ideas were later adopted by others.
Burden Iron Works
Henry Burden's most notable achievement remains Burden Iron Works. The small wooden mill he initially managed expanded into a sprawling industrial complex. In 1848, Burden shifted the company's focus to ironmaking. He closely directed all operations, and after his death on January 19, 1871, management passed to his sons under the name Henry Burden & Sons.
The iron works complex comprised dozens of buildings, including 60 puddling furnaces, 20 heating furnaces, 14 rolling mills, 9 horseshoe machines, 25 engines, 70 boilers, and countless stamping and other machines, spread across an enormous site. Rails connected the buildings, with daily freight trains carrying iron ore, sand, fire clay, and more. The company even owned its own locomotive. Docks extended into the adjacent river, allowing access to large vessels.
In 1851, the famed Great Water Wheel was constructed, measuring 60 feet in diameter, 21 feet in width, and boasting 12 horsepower, further augmenting the works' already considerable capacity.
1400 workers labored at the iron works, earning an annual payroll of half a million dollars. Their output included 600,000 kegs of horseshoes and 42,000 tons of pig iron per year. The furnaces consumed 90,000 tons of coal annually.
